Rotheca wildii (Moldenke) R.Fern.

A soft, woody, much-to sparsely-branched shrub, (0.64)1-3(4) m tall, from a woody rootstock, sometimes scandent or a small tree, usually leafless when in flower; branches thick and ± fleshy, stiff and somewhat brittle, obtusely 4-angled toward the apex, pithy in the centre, with internodes shorter towards the end of the branches; bark smooth, purplish-grey when young, glabrescent, becoming pale to dark greyish-brown and corky, longitudinally wrinkled when dry, with whitish prominent lenticels and concave cordate-elliptic to semi-circular leaf scars surrounded by raised corky margins. Leaves opposite, petiolate, slightly fleshy; lamina 3-13.5 x 1.5-7.2 cm, ovate or elliptic to broadly elliptic, acuminate at the apex, attenuate at the base and ± decurrent into the petiole, entire to subentire often ± coarsely serrate in the apical half, membranous to chartaceous, concolorous, pale green, lighter beneath, glabrous or sometimes sparsely pubescent on the upper surface, more densely so beneath with hairs particularly on the nerves; petiole up to c. 5 cm long, ± winged by the ± decurrent lamina. Inflorescences (2.2)4-15.5 cm long, raceme-like or narrowly paniculiform resembling a ‘labiate’ with dense whorls of flowers, axillary in the apical leaf cluster (but appearing terminal) or on short lateral branches which are sometimes so reduced that the inflorescences appear cauline; inflorescence shoot (rhachis) nodes 3-9, the lowermost internode up to 30(35) mm long, successively shorter towards the apex, pubescent or glabrous, each node with 1-2(3) cymes in each axil of opposite bracts, the uppermost nodes sometimes sterile; cymes subsessile or with peduncles up to c. 10 mm long, 1-7-flowered; peduncles longest and more branched at the rhachis base; pedicels 3-8 mm long, slender; bracts lanceolate-ovate, up to 15 mm long and leaf-like at the lower nodes. Calyx (4)4.5-6(7-8) mm long, campanulate, green or purple-tinged at the base, becoming deep violet or purplish-red towards the upper margin; lobes (2)2.5-3.5 mm long, usually oblong and ± rounded at the apex, or sometimes semicircular (subtriangular and subacute on drying), erect, ciliate. Corolla tube (5)6-10(11) mm long and 3-4.25 mm in diameter, curved; lower lobe 13-15 x 7 mm, concave spathulate, violet, purple, mauve, lilac or blue, the other lobes 8-12 x 5.5-7 mm, oblong, obtuse, cream-coloured, greenish-white or green inside, all blackish or dark grey-green and ± covered with sessile or subsessile glands on the outside; corolla limb when in bud 6.5-9 mm in diameter, ± densely covered with sessile to subsessile spherical reddish-purple glands. Stamens erect and arcuate, exserted 12-13 mm; anthers (3)3.5-4 mm long, mauve, turning very dark on drying. Fruit 7-8 x 8-12 mm, green, turning black when mature; calyx persistent.